Welcome to The Village of Vancouver

Welcome to The Village of Vancouver. My name is Bill Currie, and I'm directing this documentary film on the rich culture and history of soccer in Vancouver. The film is currently scheduled to be completed in Spring, 2010. Please visit this website for future updates.

Soccer has been one of my passions throughout my life. I've been a lifetime fan and recreational player of the beautiful game (although, it doesn't seem to be so beautiful when the ball's at my feet. so I'm told) . I've been a season ticket holder for the Vancouver Whitecaps for many years, and a supporter of the CSL & A-League Vancouver 86ers more than a decade before that. Many of you may know me through Friends of Soccer...a great movement where a lot of people like you and me showed massive support for the Whitecaps' efforts to build a community soccer stadium in Vancouver. It's a cause I'm still committed to today. As long as the Whitecaps work towards it, I will do all I can to help make it happen.

When the rains of winter set in, I wake up early on Saturday & Sunday mornings like thousands of others do to watch the EPL. Sometimes I watch the Bundesliga, Serie A, and La Liga...but I must confess I've been a incurable Manchester City supporter for a lot of rollercoaster years.

Documentary Film has been another passion; especially sports documentaries. I've been very privileged to have worked on two series and four documentary features on the history of Canadian sports heroes. We have an incredible history of our sports, but few storytellers in our nation. This film can only follow in the footsteps of these Canadian sports filmmakers before, and the historians who have documented our great sports heritage.

The athletes who have not only been able to excite, but engage people in their communities, have been the ones who have interested me the most. There are athletes doing that in North America right now. But experience has taught me that the stories of most athletes are best told when they're finished with their playing careers. They are more introspective after the battles, and every athlete has an appreciation  for all they have accomplished (and in many cases, what they can still accomplish outside of the sport), after reflecting on the years of their playing career. It is my hope that this film reflects the community spirit that many of our local athletes have, and still engage in to this day.

This film project has been actively in development since summer of 2004. Originally, I wanted to capture the passion and the culture that was developing around the game we love in North America. I have travelled throughout Canada and the United States, watching it develop through MLS, USL and the W-League. But it became clear very quickly that what I was seeking was right before my eyes...in my home city. Vancouver was a City of Soccer. Thousands of players, hundreds of matches every week, the most Canadian players who played internationally, the best womens soccer, the most domestic titles and the most city streets closed down at World Cup time. It was all here.

And there's the memory of over 100,000 people lining the streets of Vancouver to celebrate the Whitecaps North American Soccer League title in 1979. No other local sports team had ever created such a spontaneous show of joy and unity before...nor none has since. Legendary ABC sportscaster Jim McKay may have called Vancouver a "Deserted Village" a few days before, but all of the Villagers were out in force that day.

Soccer lives and breathes here.

Soccer is universal...perhaps the only universal recreational pursuit known to humanity. The spirit of the game can certainly be seen in other cities in Canada, such as Toronto and Montreal. And there are certainly American cities where soccer proudly plants its flag as well. These places also have a rich history that should be told.

But this film is about soccer in Vancouver. It is about the game I love in the city that I love.

While Vancouver is not the be-all, end-all of the game, I hope it will help spark some of the passion in soccer that so many of us are looking for in North America. We see it happening at some level in every city. If you are not yet a soccer fan, I hope it will inspire you to explore this global phenomenon.  If you are a supporter from another city or town, I hope it will spur you to explore your own history in the world's game. If you are a Whitecaps supporter, or play the game in British Columbia, I hope this film portrays the game in our city justly and with pride.

Yours in Sport,
Bill Currie